By IANS
New York : Inspired by the gecko’s legendary grip – which allows it to scale sheer walls and hang upside down from ceilings – scientists have developed what is probably the mother of all adhesives.
Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley, who developed the adhesive, copied the easy-attach, easy-release mechanism of the reptile’s padded feet.
The material, according to their study, could prove useful in a range of products – from climbing equipment to medical devices.
Findings of the study have been published in the latest issue of the Journal of the Royal Society Interface.
The new material differs from duct tape or glue in that it is made from millions of tiny plastic fibres that establish grip.
The study contends that just two square centimetres of the material can support almost half a kg in weight.
While tape sticks when it presses onto a surface, the new adhesive sticks as it slides on a surface and releases as it lifts – the way the gecko’s grip works.
“The gecko has a very sophisticated hierarchical structure of compliant toes, microfibres, nanofibres and nanoattachment plates that allow the foot to attach and release with very little effort,” said the study’s co-author Ron Fearing.
“The gecko makes it look simple, but the animal needs to control the directions it is moving its toes – correct movement equates to little effort,” he said.
The new material is also novel in that it gets stronger with use. In experiments, it tightened its hold as it was rubbed repeatedly against a glass plate. The extra strength is caused by the fibres bending over to make more contact – yet once released, the fibres returned to their original shape.
According to Fearing, the new material is the first to mimic the nature of the gecko’s characteristic “non-sticky by default” feet.